While air bags have proven to increase the overall survival rate of average-sized, properly restrained occupants, others are being injured or killed by air bags because the devices that inflate air bags are too powerful. Upon deployment, the bags "punch" occupants at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour, and because small stature individuals, children and babies in car seats are usually closer to the instrument panel at the time the air bag is deploying, they are suffering severe injury and death as a result.
Air bags are typically mounted within the instrument panel and concealed by a hard plastic cover that is ejected when the bag explodes out of its stowed position. Additionally, air bags are constructed so as to include a tough abrasive liner. The liner is necessary to maintain the bag's integrity during inflation because tremendous force and heat are generated by present inflators. Statistics maintained by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that unrestrained and improperly restrained individuals are also suffering injury, because their momentum during preimpact braking also places them close to the air bag when it deploys. Therefore, small stature individuals, children, infants and unrestrained or improperly restrained individuals, are all especially vulnerable to injury or death as a result of current air bag designs. This is unacceptable.
Air bag deactivation and manual cutoff switches for passenger side air bags are two interim solutions NHTSA and the Congress have considered. The problem, however, requires a permanent solution.
Therefore, it is highly desirable to provide a new instrument panel safety device.
It is also highly desirable to provide a new instrument panel safety device that collapses the instrument panel away from the occupant during deployment of the air bag.
It is also highly desirable to provide a new instrument panel safety device that is capable of inflating an air bag without generating tremendous force and heat like present air bag inflators.
It is also highly desirable to provide a new instrument panel safety device that operates in conjunction with any type of existing inflator.
It is finally highly desirable to provide a new instrument panel safety device that meets all of the above desired features.